BEYOND THE HEADLINE
The journal. Blogs, essays & reading guides for the stories that stay with you.
Explore our own articles and outside writing, organized by case. The descriptions here help you choose what to read; outside articles open at their original source. Some publishers require a subscription. Commentary reflects its author’s perspective.
Choose a caseAll cases Abigail Williams & Liberty German ACT UP & the AIDS treatment activists Adam Walsh Adrianne Jones & the Texas cadet case Aileen Wuornos Alajawan Brown Alan & Diane Johnson Alan & Terra Bates Alan Canty Albert DeSalvo & the Boston Strangler case Albert Fish Alex Algeri — the Reidel murder plot Alexis Murphy Alice Crimmins & her children Alissa Blanton Aliza Sherman Alonzo Brooks Alvin & Virginia Ridley Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus & Michelle Knight Amber Hagerman Amy Bishop Amy Fisher & Mary Jo Buttafuoco Amy Lord Amy Mihaljevic Andrew Nesbitt Angie Dodge Anita Hill & the 1991 confirmation hearings Ann & Billy Woodward Ann Atwater & C. P. Ellis Anna Sorokin Anne Marie Fahey & Thomas Capano Anthony Robles Apollo 13 & the mission-control rescue Appalachian communities & the opioid crisis Ashley Flynn & Caleb Flynn Ashley Freeman & Lauria Bible Atlanta child murders Audrey Marie Hilley Barbara & Russ Stager Bayard Rustin & the March on Washington Ben & Nikki Goeser Bennet Omalu & football brain injuries Bernie Madoff Betty Broderick Betty Gore & Candy Montgomery Betty Jones & Kathryn Crigler Betty Lou Beets Betty Williams Bianca Carrasco Billie Jean King & the fight for equality in tennis Billy Connole Blanche Taylor Moore Bobby Franks — Leopold & Loeb Bobby Greenlease Bobby Kent Brandon Burlsworth Brandon Teena, Lisa Lambert & Philip DeVine Brenda Gere Brenda Spencer Brenda Sue Schaefer & Mel Ignatow Brian Banks Brian Thompson & Luigi Mangione Brianna Foisy, Jason Netter & the Anchorage killings Brianna Maitland Brooke & Jean Ellison Brookey Lee West Candy & Jacques Mossler Carl Starke Carlesha Freeland-Gaither Carol & Charles Stuart Carol & Dan Montecalvo Carol Thompson Carolyn Warmus & Betty Jean Solomon Carrie Ann Williams Casey Anthony & Caylee Anthony Casey Crowder Cassie Jo Stoddart Cassy Farrington Catina Rose Salarno Celina Petersen Cesar Chavez, Dolores Huerta & the farmworker movement Chandra Levy Charles Cullen / Amy Loughren Charles Manson & the Tate–LaBianca murders Charles Starkweather & Caril Ann Fugate Cheryl Keeton & Bradly Cunningham Cheryl Perveler Chris Smith & Edward Shin Christa Pike & Colleen Slemmer Christian Aguilar Christina Morris Christopher Duncan Christopher Gray Cindy Mudd Clarence Earl Gideon Clint Greenwood Colleen Stan Conbino Crasto Crystal Champagne & Damon Thibodeaux Crystal Lee Sutton & the textile workers Curtis & Marjorie Chillingworth Cynthia Langrall Dahyabhai Kalidas Chaudhari Dan Markel Dana Beatty Daniel Anderl & Judge Esther Salas Daniel Ellsberg & the Pentagon Papers David Berkowitz David Fouts Davis McClendon Dawn & Nick Hacheney Dawn Meade Debora Green & the Farrar children Dee Dee & Gypsy Rose Blanchard Dee Warner Dennis Rader Derek & Nancy Haysom Devon & Damon Routier Diane Borchardt Diane Downs Diane Kyne Diane Staudte Dion Smith Dioneth Lopez Dixie & Scott Shanahan Dolly & Fred Oesterreich Donna & Dennis Yaklich Doreen Erbert Dorothea Puente’s boarding house Dorothy Stratten Ed Gein Edmund Kemper Edward Lowry Elena & Borys Kiejliches Elizabeth Holmes / Theranos Elizabeth Shoaf Elizabeth Short Elizabeth Smart Ellen Boehm Emma Walker Emmett Till & Mamie Till-Mobley Enron’s employees, investors & whistleblowers Erika & Benjamin Sifrit Erin Brockovich & Hinkley Ervin Holton Francine Hughes Frank Serpico & police corruption Franklin Bradshaw Gabriel Perez Gary Lauwers & Ricky Kasso Gary Ridgway George Joseph Cvek Gina Marie Nueslein Gretchen & Wendy Fritz H. 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Holmes Hannah Pettey Harold Allen Harvey Glatman & His Victims Harvey Milk Heidi Firkus Helen Keller & Anne Sullivan Helene Pruszynski Helle & Richard Crafts Henrietta Lacks & the HeLa cells Holly Bobo Homer Hickam & the Rocket Boys Hufracio Arteaga Ian Campbell & Karl Hettinger — The Onion Field Ilene Gowan Imran Ashgar Ina Clare Richardson Irene Silverman & the Kimes case Ivanice Harris Jack Davis Jackie Robinson Jacob Wetterling James “Jimmy” Michael James & Virginia Campbell James Byrd Jr. Jan Broberg Janet Downing & Eddie O’Brien Jared Bridegan Jasmine Fiore Jasper “Jack” Watkins Jaycee Dugard Jayne & David Miller Jeanne Clery Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston & Manzanar Jeff Zack Jeffrey Dahmer Jeffrey MacDonald & his family Jennifer Asbenson Jennifer Dulos Jennifer Ertman & Elizabeth Peña Jennifer Kesse Jennifer Krajnak Jennifer Levin & Robert Chambers Jeremy Bell Jerry Sternadel Jessica Lunsford Jessika Kalaher Jill & Bill Rockcastle Jodi Arias & Travis Alexander Jodi Huisentruit Joe Metheny John Lewis & the Selma voting-rights campaign John List & his family John McCabe John O’Keefe & the Karen Read trials John Orr & the California arson fires John Scopes & the evolution trial John Wayne Gacy Johnny Soekhies Joleen Cummings JonBenét Ramsey José Hernández Joseph “Joe” Andriano Joseph James DeAngelo Josh Richards Joshua Webb Joyce & Stanley Cohen Judy Buenoano Judy Heumann & the disability-rights movement Julissa Brisman Justine Vanderschoot Karen Silkwood Kari Hunt Karla Faye Tucker Katherine & Sheila Lyon Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson & NASA’s Hidden Figures Kathleen & Michael Peterson Kathleen Savio & Stacy Peterson Katie Beers Kelly Dwyer Kelsey Berreth Kenneth Waters Kenny Fandrich Kent Heitholt & Ryan Ferguson Kevin & Alison Davis Kimberly & Stephen Hricko Kira Steger Kirsten Costas & Bernadette Protti Kitty Genovese KJ Taylor Kristen Gilbert Kristin Rossum & Greg de Villers Kristin Smart Laci Peterson Lana Clarkson & Phil Spector Larry Howse Larry McNabney Laura Pietscher Lauren Spierer Laurie Bembenek & Christine Schultz Laurie Dann & the Winnetka school shooting Laurie Kellogg Laurie Show Lee Roy Martin Leona O’Loughlin Lieth & Bonnie von Stein Linda & Cinnamon Brown Lindsay Clancy & Her Children Lisa McVey Liz Murray Lizzie Borden Lois Jenson & the Eveleth women Lorena Bobbitt Lori Vallow & Chad Daybell Lucille & Cork Miller Lyle & Erik Menendez Mackenzie Shirilla Maggie & Paul Murdaugh Makayla Meave Mamta Kafle Bhatt Mandi Gordon Manuela Garcia Margaret & Ron Rudin Maria & Robert Marshall Maribel Ramos Marie / The Unbelievable Investigation Marie Noe Marilyn & Sam Sheppard Martha Gail Fulton Martha Moxley Mary Burge Mary Kay Letourneau & Vili Fualaau Matt Restelli Matthew Shepard Matthew Winkler Maura Murray Medgar Evers & the long pursuit of justice Megan Kanka Melinda Loveless Melissa James Merrilee Cox-Lafferty Michele “Missy” Avila Michelle Carter & Conrad Roy Michelle Hadley Michelle Warner Michelle Young Mildred & Richard Loving Mindi Kassotis Mollie Tibbetts Molly Bish Molly Bloom Morgan Harrington & Hannah Graham Nancy & Richard Lyon Nancy Dunning, Ronald Kirby & Ruthanne Lodato Nannie Doss Nathaniel Ayers & Steve Lopez Nellie May & Eric Madison Nicole Brown Simpson & Ron Goldman Omar Medina Pamela & Gregg Smart Pamela Hutchinson Pamela Zimmerman Patrice Endres Patricia “Patti” Wheelington Patty Hearst & the Symbionese Liberation Army Paul Bernardo & Karla Homolka Paul Michael Stephani Paul Skalnik & Jailhouse-Informant Evidence Paula Sims Pauli Murray Penny Chenery & Secretariat Prisma Contreras Rachel Carson & Silent Spring Ramon Sosa Ray & Fahmarr McElrathbey Rebecca Schaeffer Reet Jurvetson Reggie Ward Regina Hartwell Reginald Daye & Crystal Mangum Richard Jewell & the Olympic bombing investigation Richard Ramirez Richard Speck Rick Chance Rita & Yakov Gluzman Robert & Kathryn Swartz Robert Bilott & the DuPont/PFOA case Robert Durst Robert Kearns & the windshield-wiper patent Rodney Alcala’s victims & Woman of the Hour Roland Younce & the Moore family Rolf & Ruth Neslund Ronda Reynolds Rosa Parks & the Montgomery bus boycott Roseann Quinn Rozanne Gailiunas & Joy Aylor Ruby Bridges Ruby McCollum & C. 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Maria & Robert Marshall Conversations with a Hit Man The Atavist Magazine · David Howard · June 2025
Howard accompanies retired FBI agent Myron Fuller to interview Larry Thompson. The reporting revisits Maria Marshall’s murder before examining a separate Louisiana killing. Thompson’s recollections are attributed claims; this is magazine reporting, not a court record. Publisher access rules apply.
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